Some southern food for the soul....

It feels so good to be back home again, funny though when I was still in North Carolina I was feeling like I never wanted to leave. What is it with vacations that we can't wait to get there, not want to leave, then can't wait to get back to our own bed? I hated coming home but I brought something home with me to remind us of the Outer Banks until we get back next September. Shrimp!

Each year before we leave the OBX we go down to Wacheese and wait for the the big shrimp boats to come in with their wonderful treasures. We take our biggest cooler and have it loaded at the dock with 50 pounds of just caught shrimp. The fishermen layer and pack the shrimp with crushed ice till it is very secure to drive back to Maryland. When we get home we load them into freezer bags, of various sizes, and then fill the bags up with water to keep them from getting any freezer burn during the year. It is very economical this way and it always tastes super fresh.

My first shrimp meal back this year is my favorite southern touch for the soul, none other than Oh Boy, Shrimp and Grits. It's warm, and yummy and tastes fantastic with every bite. You can find the recipe so many places but one of my favorites is one by the reigning queen of southern cooks, Natalie Dupree. Look for her Shrimp and Grits Cookbook, it's terrific.

My recipe is a mixture from different people and my family is crazy about it. Give it a try, I think you'll love the ease and taste.

Shrimp and Grits
Start your grits by putting 2 cups of water and 2 cups of milk in a sauce pan. Bring to a low boil and stir in 1/2 stick of butter till melted, then add 1 cup of stone-ground or quick grits (important - NOT Instant Grits). Add salt and pepper to your taste. Stir well and occasionally, then cook on low for 20 to 25 minutes. The grits will have absorbed all the liquid and be very creamy. Remove from the heat and stir in another 1/2 stick of butter and two cups of Sharp Shredded Cheddar. Put a lid on pan and set aside to stay warm.
In a frying pan, fry up 8 slices of your favorite bacon till crispy. Remove bacon from pan and stir in 1 cup of sliced, fresh button mushrooms. Then add 1 cup sliced scallions and 1 large clove of minced garlic. Stir everything in the bacon grease left in pan until they begin to soften. Stir in 1 pound of peeled and deveined fresh shrimp and cook until the shrimp turn pink. Add about 4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon of Louisiana hot sauce and a couple of tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley. Crumble up your bacon and give the shrimp mixture a final stir. Pour your warm, cheesy grits into a big bowl and dump the shrimp mixture on top for a fantastic treat. Its great with a green salad and some crusty bread. Rich, wonderful, tasty and pure southern comfort food. I am so happy we brought back 50 pounds of shrimp, a year seems like such a long time to spread them out. Enjoy!
PS. I have been getting a number of emails about the freezing of shrimp so I thought you may like the process. Fill the bags about half full with the shrimp then the rest of the bag gets filled with cold water. Use a bag size based on the amount you may want to thaw out at a time. This also works for freezing fish. The seafood last a very long time staying as fresh tasting as when you put them in the water because of the water. We have been doing this for years and it is perfect for big sales and purchases like this one.

Bags are packed and I'm off to the beach. P.S. here's a few details on the giveaway when I return...

I have packed and repacked until I managed to turn a month's worth of clothes into two suitcases. The trick to it was eliminating all the totally unnecessary clothing I always take on my two week vacation to the beach. I told you I would be able to get it done. My problem has always been my need to pack my complete wardrobe for a two week trip and the realization every year that I don't wear three quarters of the stuff I take. I feel like I am going through clothing withdrawal right now but I have it all in two suitcases and if I find I have to have something else it will be the prefect excuse to go shopping more while I am there. I am really very excited about vacation starting tomorrow since I am going to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, my favorite beach destination. We have rented a big beautiful house for a number of my family and some friends and it will be great fun to hang out doing not much but enjoying the people and the fantastic ocean. We go there in September each year because it is still warm enough for the beach but the crowds are gone for the summer and the prices on the rentals have dropped a lot! I will be taking my laptop and camera so I can see what y'all are writing and if I can I will post some of the pictures of the fabulous ocean.

As an extra treat when I get back, I have made a beautiful piece of jewelry for my fall give away. I will be posting the photos and dates when I return.
It will be selected randomly from the comments and the followers for this blog and the my other blog Sugar Creek Beads . Check it out if you haven't been there cause it is lots of fun and filled with information on life around my jewelry studio. Don't forget to make comments on both here and there and be a follower in both spots. It will double your chance in the drawing!

The count down and the packing has begun...

I am so so ready to be sitting in that chair, watching a sunset, having a glass of wine and chilling out by the ocean. Next week at this time you will find me right there enjoying the beginning of my long waited for vacation. It's the Outer Banks of North Carolina time and I am already walking around with a smile on my face. What is driving me crazy though is the packing! My big problem is I am only going away two weeks and I always pack enough for a month or more. My thought is maybe I'll need that dress or what if its chilly and I need clothes for two climates, warm and cold. This has to be a woman thing because any man I have ever traveled with could throw a shirt and a toothbrush in an overnight case and tour Europe without any problem. Me, I am just going to the beach! My goal, when I started typing this blog today was to get control with the amount of clothes and make a list of only what I really need. How many bathing suits are enough? Speaking of enough, what about panties and bras, do I always need a suitcase just for them? Crazy I know, even crazier is the knowledge there is a full size washer and dryer in the house we rent. And then there is the issue of the extra couple going with us this year... what to do, what to do? Okay ladies, this is my plan, two suitcases, nothing more. Really, I mean it! I never, ever wear all the stuff I take with me so with that thought I should be able to get control. Jeans, shorts, tops and tees with two (well, maybe three)pairs of shoes in one bag. Stuff panties and bras for two weeks, not a month, in the corners of the bag and that takes care of one suitcase. The other case gets 4 bathing suits (you never know), robe and pj's and toiletry case. Skip the dress since I know I won't put it on and if I need a sweatshirt or sweater I can use it for another excuse to shop. What do you think? Is it really possible to pull this off for a clothes horse? Speaking of horses one of the things I love there is watching the horses wander in the surf and through the dunes and I know they never give a thought to what I have on. I think writing this blog today has been good for me, tonight I will pull out only two suitcases, and practice getting my toned down version of packing right till I leave on Friday. I know y'all will hold me to the two bag plan. I will take lots of pictures and my laptop so I hope to send you some of my fun, even if I have the same clothes on every day.

;-).

I Brake for Boiling Peanuts...

While doing a little chair dance here at my computer, I get to finally say I'll be going on vacation in just 3 weeks. I love going on vacation and look forward to the next one as soon as one is over. Crazy I know, but even nuttier is one of the reasons I look forward to vacation... Boiled Peanuts! You see we always go south for vacation, to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and along the drive from Maryland we go past so many peanut stands that our stops change the 5 hour drive to 6 or more. We need a bumper sticker that says I Brake for Boiled Peanuts.

I can remember, as a little girl, my Grandma had a peanut patch and each year we would dig up the peanuts, clean them off and drop them into the big pot of boiling water that had been loaded with salt, actually there was so much salt it was more like a boiling brine. You can only boil the raw (green) peanuts and a good rule of thumb is 1/3 to 1/2 cup of salt for every ten pounds of peanuts you're boiling. Keep them at a good but low rolling boil for between 1 to 10 hours. You need to stir them every twenty minutes or so and taste them every hour untill you have reached the tenderness you like. We usually plan on 3 hours on a low boil, uncovered always, to get the tenderness we like best. We enjoy ours boiled only in salt but many other seasonings can be added during the boiling time such as Cajun seasoning, crab boil, jalapeno peppers, garlic or what ever is your desire.

After they have reached the perfect tenderness, then drain them well and dig in by biting down on the shell and sucking that warm, wonderful and briny peanut out of its soft shell. The peanuts are soft and tender, very much like a bean texture, and besides how great they taste they are fantastic for you. Boiling them are much better for you since you have more poly phenol antioxidants than roasted ones.

After you have eaten your fill you can pack all the left overs in zip lock bags and either refrigerate them or place them in the freezer for longer storage time. It is possible to buy boiled peanuts in a can at your grocery store but it doesn't have the same taste or effect as eating them warm from the pot.

I hope you have the opportunity to try them sometime. Stop at one of the road sides stands and dig into those wonderful, warm shells and imagine your headed to the beach. It's a great fantasy and I look forward to living it every September.

Health Note added 8/28/09
1. Breaking News from Alabama A&M University's Department of Food and Animal Sciences...A new study by a group of Huntsville researchers found that boiled peanuts bring out up to four times more chemicals that help protect against disease than raw, dry or oil-roasted nuts. These phytochemicals have antioxidant qualities that protect cells against the risk of degenerative diseases, including cancers, diabetes and heart disease.

2. Boiled Peanuts contain resveratol, a plant chemical also found in red wine, which studies have shown to have a protective effect against cancer and heart disease.

3. Major studies have found eating peanuts can lower the risk of heart disease, cut the risk of diabetes and assist dieters.

4. Boiled peanuts are loaded with many vitamins and minerals and they are high in plant protein. Also, the fat content is primarily monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.

Vacation wishing...

Are we there yet? Those four words kids everywhere say when they are bored traveling and can’t wait to be at their destination. Well, I am far from being a kid anymore but there is this little child, in the back of my mind, poking me and saying “are we there yet?” To me, “there” is the Outer Banks of North Carolina, my most favorite vacation beach spot, that we go to every September. This year it seems like September is too far away and I am so ready to leave right now.

Each September, after Labor Day, we rent a large beach house complete with heated pool for chilly days and a hot tub for cozy nights. We gather our bathing suits and pajamas and head south. It is only a 5 hour drive but at least a dozen times we all have to say “are we there yet?” It is a wonderful location for a vacation if a hurricane does not decide to blow hard up the coastline. The Outer Banks is a barrier island that runs along the coast of North Carolina. It’s beautiful and peaceful and it always has a way of washing off the past year's stress. There are a number of wonderful little towns that offer something for everyone, from wandering wild horses on the beach to shopping, vineyard wine tours and just plain fun; it has me coming back year after year.

This year I would like to be there now. Life has been filled with craziness this past year and I need a vacation soon. I need to feel that southern sand under my feet and the water splashing around me to get some of that ahhh vacation feel. I have started a calendar countdown this evening and if you hear whining escaping from me this summer, just remember, it’s only that kid in me saying “are we there yet?”